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Wed, 27 Oct 2021
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Magnitude 5.9 quake hits off Papua New Guinea

graph
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit Papua New Guinea, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported Saturday, adding that it was unlikely to cause mass casualties and damage.

The tremor occurred at 23:48 GMT. The epicenter of the quake was located at the depth of 190 kilometers (118 miles) and centered 91 kilometers (56.5 miles) west of Madang province.

There have been no reports of destruction or casualties caused by the earthquake so far.

No tsunami warning was issued.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 9 across Gujarat, India

lightning
At least 10 people died, nine of them after being struck by lightning, as pre-monsoon thundershowers wreaked havoc in several parts of the state on Friday.

While three persons each died due to lightning in Dahod and Surat, two in Rajkot and Jetpur met the same fate. A farm labourer woman was also killed by lightning in Bharuch.

The rains and gust left a trail of destruction in Devgadh Baria, Dhanpur and Jhalod districts of Dahod where five bovines also died either by lightning or trees falling on them. In Dungri village of Jhalod, a girl identified as Kavita Muniya died after a huge neem tree fell on her house.

Cloud Lightning

Lightning strikes kill 4 and injury 5 others in 3 districts of Bangladesh

Lightning
Four people were killed and five others injured in lightning strikes in Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Jessore districts on Friday, reports UNB.

In Naogaon, two workers -- Shahidul Islam, 48, son of Moslem Uddin, and Rasi Chowdhury, 30, son of Mahfuzul Haque, -- suffered injuries after a thunderbolt struck them at Kuchinda-Kamarpara village in Sapahar upazila in the evening.

They were first taken to Sahapar Upazila Health Complex from where they were referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) as their condition deteriorated, said officer-in-charge of Sapahar police station Samsul Alam Shah.

The duo died on the way to the RMCH, the OC added.

Besides, four people were injured after they were hit by a lightning strike at Uchadanga village in the upazila at the same time.

Comment: In India on the day prior to the above incidents: Girl among two killed in lightning strike, four injured


Attention

Wild elephant kills 4 in Tamil Nadu, India

The elephant, which is in sedation, is pushed into a lorry in Vellalore.
© DC
The elephant, which is in sedation, is pushed into a lorry in Vellalore.
Officials say four people including a teenager and two women were killed when a wild elephant ran amok in southern India early Friday.

District official S. Madhuranthangi said that the elephant strayed into a residential area on the outskirts of the Coimbatore city from a nearby forest and carried out three attacks, sending residents into a state of panic.

Madhuranthangi said: "the elephant first entered a house and attacked a family that was asleep. It lifted a twelve-year girl with its trunk and flung her to the ground, causing her to die on the spot.

"It trampled two women and a 70-year-old man to death in separate attacks later."

She said Five more people injured in the attacks were admitted to hospitals in Coimbatore, where the condition of two wounded was said to be serious.


Hundreds gathered in the area as wildlife and police teams attempted to tranquilise the animal to arrange for its return to the forest.

Attention

Dead sperm whale dragged onto Ruakaka Beach, New Zealand

Hapu with links to Whangarei Harbour differ on how a sperm whale carcass should be disposed of.

Hapu with links to Whangarei Harbour differ on how a sperm whale carcass should be disposed of.
To some people connected to Whangarei Harbour a dead sperm whale found on Mair Bank is a shipping and health hazard; to others it is a message from their tupuna, an ancestor.

As far as everyone is concerned, the huge carcass needs to be disposed of - but different hapu with roots in the harbour, its mountains and its coast disagree about who has that right and the way it should be done.

The 15m-long, male sperm whale carcass was dragged ashore at the northern end of Ruakaka Beach after being found on the sand bank near the harbour entry at Marsden Pt on Tuesday morning.

Department of Conservation (DoC) arranged for it be towed in to prevent the incoming tide floating it into the shipping channels.

Attention

Dead whale found off Jersey City coast, New York

Whale body in Hudson River at liberty park
© Eva Zheng
Whale body in Hudson River at liberty park
Kevin Chen of Bayonne was out fishing in New York Harbor on Wednesday when he saw something odd in the distance. So he steered his boat towards it. This was his first time fishing this season, and the last thing he expected was to come upon a dead whale floating in the water.

It had been dead for a while, he figured, because it had already started to stink.

"I never saw anything like it, only on TV and the internet," he said later. "I didn't expect to find it there."

The location was south of Liberty State Park and north of Global Terminals and the Liberty Cruise Port.

Chen called the Bayonne Health Department, leaving a message.

Attention

Thousands of bees shut down street in New York's midtown

swarm of bees
© Global Look Press
Thousands of bees invaded a bright yellow van parked in New York's midtown, terrifying the van's driver and his companion. Police closed the street for a couple of hours before a beekeeper arrived to vacuum up the bees.

"We were here doing a job and next thing we notice are bees flying to the van," Henrique Paiva told WPIX on Friday. "And we couldn't get out."

The van, just blocks away from Rockefeller Center, contained humidifiers and other equipment.

Attention

Carcass of 10-meter whale found on beach in Phuket, Thailand

Officials believe the whale died at least seven days before the body washed up.
© Winai Sarot
Officials believe the whale died at least seven days before the body washed up.
The carcass of a 10-meter-long whale in a state of advanced decay washed ashore at Surin Beach yesterday morning.

Officers are trying to identify the cause of death and find a place to bury it.

"We received reports that the body of an unidentified marine animal had washed up at about 11am. We have identified it to be a whale, but have yet to learn the exact species," said Patsorn Visudthiwatcharakul, director of Public Health and Environment at the Cherng Talay OrBorTor.

Snowflake Cold

Finland endures coldest May in nearly 50 years

Snow Finland
Although Thursday is the first day of the summer month of June, there's no indication of balmy summer weather in sight. Daytime highs for the month are already unusually low, said Yle meteorologist Seija Paasonen.

"Between April and May we generally have the kinds of temperatures we are seeing now," Paasonen noted.

The weather forecast puts daytime highs Thursday and Friday at a chilly 10 to 11 degrees Celsius, while highs in central regions will runs from six to 7 degrees and from two to seven degrees Celsius up north.

According to Paasonen, at this time of year, average daytime highs in Helsinki should be around 17 degrees, and even up north, highs should be above 10 degrees.

Meanwhile new data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute indicate that across northern Finland - from Kainuu in the east to northern Ostrobothnia in the west - temperatures in May were nearly three degrees Celsius below the long term average.

The last time Finnish residents experienced a May as cold as this was in 1969 - nearly 50 years ago.

Comment: See also: 26 cm (10 inches) of snow recorded in eastern Finland on Mother's Day

Cold weather is keeping birds from nesting and delaying blossoming of wild berry bushes in Finland's north


Tornado2

Tornado touches down near Three Hills, Alberta, Canada

Three Hills tornado
© @rtt05/Twitter
A tornado spotted near Three Hills, Alta., was moving east at 50 km/h. Emergency officials have cancelled the warning for Kneehill County and Starland County.

Social media lights up with stunning images and video of twister


A tornado was spotted northeast of Calgary on Friday, startling onlookers and touching off a brief emergency alert.

The tornado was seen at 5 p.m. near Three Hills, moving east at 50 km/h. Other communities in the tornado's path included Morrin and Rowley.

The alert was cancelled at 5:27 p.m.

"The thunderstorm is no longer capable of producing a tornado," Alberta Emergency officials said.

Stunning images and video of the tornado were captured by Albertans living in the area.